A successful extension should respect the scale, character and architectural hierarchy of the original building while supporting contemporary living requirements. It should enhance the building's long-term viability rather than compromise its significance.

For many clients, carefully considered extensions provide the additional accommodation needed to ensure historic buildings remain practical family homes for future generations.

Good conservation is not about preventing change. It is about managing change thoughtfully.

Traditional handmade clay bricks offer a richness and authenticity that modern mass-produced bricks often lack. Their subtle variations in tone and texture add depth and warmth, making them ideal for conservation work or new classical homes.

Getting the proportions of a room feeling comfortable sometimes requires lateral thinking.

This extension to a Grade II* listed country house had a low roof, but the size of the room demanded a high ceiling to feel proportionally correct. A large cover and floating central ceiling section add interest and height but disguise the hidden structure behind.

Continuing our look back at 25 years of Alex Oliver Associates, we look back today to, perhaps, one of our favourite barn conversions.

By keeping as much of the historic fabric as possible, the converted building still looks and feels like the original, but transformed into comfortable family accommodation.

In 2025 we are 25 years old, so over the year we are going to pick out 25 of our favourite projects from the archive to share with you.

Some are already well known, some less so, but all are special to us for different reasons and we hope you will enjoy this look into the first 25 years of our practice.

Kicking things off is our first ever project. This charming farmhouse was carefully designed to break down its visual mass with the main building formed from rubble stone being supplemented by a rear wing, a rendered service wing and a timber clad garage block.

Selection of materials when working of conservation projects is critical. Specify the wrong product and the whole building runs the risk of looking like an unworthy addition to the site.

The Grade II* listed country house in the Test Valley has had carefully selected handmade roof tiles to add a subtle variation and character to the roof plane, a specially selected mix of handmade bricks and carefully crafted timber French doors, all expertly executed by Moulding The Builder. The result is a worthy addition to this historic family home.

There are different approaches that can be taken when extending a listed building. Alterations can be designed to contrast the historic building or to complement the existing fabric. Careful judgement is required to develop the right strategy for the building and the client.

For this Grade II* listed property in Hampshire, the right solution was to compliment, whilst remaining subservient to the original Queen Anne house.